Libya's eastern-based army rejects Turkish-Russian call for cease-fire

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TRIPOLI, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army on Thursday rejected the call by Turkish and Russian presidents for reaching an immediate cease-fire in the capital Tripoli.

The army will "continue war against terrorist groups", and that "there is no way to establish a civil state except by completely eliminating them," it said in a statement.

"Achieving stability and security, resuming the political process, responding to calls for democratic transition, and agreement to a national framework for fair distribution of the wealth of the Libyans without any elimination make us say that dismantling and disarming militias became a national and international demand," the statement added.

Following a meeting in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin called on all parties in Libya to establish an immediate cease-fire and stop all hostilities.

They said the cease-fire should be sustainable and "supported by the necessary measures to be taken for stabilizing the situation on the ground and normalizing daily life in Tripoli and other cities."

Both the UN-backed government and the advisory High Council of State in Tripoli on Wednesday welcomed the Turkish-Russian call for cease-fire, stressing the keenness to end the war and resume political process.

UN Special Envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame also welcomed the call for cease-fire, urging international and Libyan parties to "respond positively to these calls and cease all military operations across Libya immediately."

The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign since early April in a bid to take over the capital from the UN-backed government. Enditem

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